BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Anna Kasner threw a four-hit shutout on Saturday morning at Viking Field, leading host Western Washington University to a 2-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference victory over the Montana State University Billings softball team.
 
Kasner's gem overshadowed a strong outing from Yellowjacket right-hander Alyssa Etheridge, who also turned in a complete game allowing just two runs. "We played another strong game of softball," said MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney. "The offense was making good contact at the end of the game, but we just kept hitting it to people. Lyss continued to keep them off balance and we played solid defense. The team played good, team softball the whole weekend."
 
The Yellowjackets slipped to 6-18 overall with the defeat and are now 2-6 in conference play. Western Washington meanwhile is 15-5 overall and is 6-2 in GNAC games.
 
Brooke Fesenbek drove in the first run of the game with an RBI-single in the bottom of the first, and Camille Shimabukuro roped an RBI-double to left field in the second to make the score 2-0. Shimabukuro's double was the only extra base hit among the teams' combined 11 knocks in the well-pitched ballgame.
 
After WWU scored its second run, Etheridge allowed just two baserunners the rest of the contest. She finished her outing by retiring 10 batters in-a-row as she gave the Yellowjackets every chance to get back into the game. Overall she gave up two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks in six innings of work.
 
After retiring the first five batters of the game, Kasner gave up a walk and a single in the top of the second as MSUB had its first good scoring opportunity. The Viking right hander stranded both runners with a strikeout however, as the score remained 1-0 early.
 
The inning-ending punchout by Kasner kicked off a string of seven straight hitters retired, until Marin Penney led off the fifth inning with a base hit. Taylor Anderson was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base with two out, but third baseman Megan Marino snagged a line drive off the bat of Morgan Quimby to end the threat.
 
The 'Jackets knocked on the door bringing the tying run to the plate in both the sixth and seventh innings, but each time Kasner got out of trouble as she sealed the series win for the Vikings. Kasner finished the game with seven strikeouts and one walk, while throwing 100 pitches.
 
Sidney Pollard was 2-for-2 for the Yellowjackets, who played error-free defense in support of Etheridge. Tatum Dow, Fesenbek, and Mackenzie Palmer each had a pair of hits for the Vikings.
 
THE BUZZ: Etheridge was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…the complete game was Etheridge's third of the season…MSUB is now 43-36 all-time against WWU and is 17-20 in games played in Bellingham.
 
NEXT WEEK: MSUB kicks off a 12-game home stretch to close the 2021 regular season, hosting Western Oregon University in a four-game series at Avitus Group Stadium on April 10-11. Live video will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here.